Episode 78
"The Path Left by a Soul" is the 26th and final episode of the season "Three Vessels" and the 78th episode from total. Plot A taxi driver got into a fight with a drunk and was severely injured. It was the drunk who was at fault, but he was the son of a prominent member of the town and the case was covered up with the cooperation of the police. He was the only son of Tsujinobashi. No one in this town can go against the Tsujinobashi family. Azusa Mayama, the daughter of the taxi driver, hated the Tsujinobashi's son. But with the help of his parents, the son fled overseas. So instead, she turned her hatred on the police. The man who ordered that the case be covered up was the Chief of the Saigawara Police Department... Akie's father. And in order to make Akie's father suffer, Azusa Mayama banished Akie to Hell. As Yuzuki recollects the previous events, she finds out that her first target is Azusa Mayama, being requested to be sent to Hell by Norihisa Takasugi, Akie's father. Asking Wanyuudou if he will remember her, Yuzuki goes to Takasugi in order to complete her first request as Hell Girl. At the Saigawara Shrine's torii gate, Hone Onna asks Tsugumi Shibata if she is leaving that town. Asking if Yuzuki became the new Hell Girl and with Ichimokuren confirming, she leaves only to be questioned if the only reason she came to that town was to save that girl, to which she denies. When asked why she came, she says she doesn't really know or that maybe she was attracted to the town only to see those events through. When Ichimokuren points out that Yuzuki turned to her when asking for help, he wonders if she couldn't of done something. Asking what's the point of those questions when it was already over, she says that at least Yuzuki became the middle schooler of her dreams even after she died. She says that she wanted to help, but something inside her got in the way, with Hone asking if it was Hajime. Leaving both of them behind, Tsugumi goes away saying that they will probably never meet again, as Hone Onna looks to the torii gate. Back at the Takasugi household, Ms. Haruko, the housemaid asks if Takasugi doesn't need anything, to which he dismisses her. As he looks at the window, Yuzuki and Wanyuudou are seen getting closer. Pleading her to avenge his grievance, Yuzuki gives him a black straw doll with a red thread on it saying that if he unties the red thread he will enter in a covenant with her, and the object of his vengeance would be immediately banished to Hell, but that he would also go to Hell after dying. Saying that Hell is nothing compared to his life without Akie, he says that he investigated Azusa Mayama, thinking she may of killed her, to which no proof was found. He then though that maybe Akie was alive and began investigating to the point of which he lost his job as Chief of the Saigawara PD. Finally, grasping at straws, he begun investigating baseless rumors such that of the Hell Link, based on Hajime's book, and he remembered seeing Azusa with the mark of Hell on her chest, finding out that she was the one who sent Akie to Hell although she didn't do anything. Saying that law will not bring justice, he will make justice with his own hands by sending her to Hell and making her go through the same pain Akie did, making Yuzuki remember of how her mother died. Asking where he is going, Norihisa says that he wants to see the moment Azusa is sent to Hell. On the outside, Kikuri and Yamawaro are playing when Kikuri's head begin itching. Suddenly, her head pops out and forms a spider with 3 eyes on it's back that goes in search of Yuzuki. Norihisa then goes to Azusa's house and spies her through the back window, only to be surprised by what he sees. He then meets again with Yuzuki and gives back the straw doll, saying that he won't be able to banish Azusa to Hell. Confronted by Yuzuki as to why he won't banish Azusa to Hell, he only says that she is already going to pay for what she did, as she will go to Hell after death. Angry with his action, Yuzuki decides to banish Azusa to Hell on Mr. Takasugi's stead. Ai Enma then appears in front of her, saying that such thing will not be permitted, as the duties of Hell Girl comes with rules. Moved by her feelings, Yuzuki says that Azusa betrayed Akie when she most needed. Ai then tells her that this is a job to which Yuzuki says she has her own rules before blasting Ai with a ball of dark energy. Yuzuki then says she will avenge the grievances of the innocent who were banished since she can understand their bitter heartache. Ai then asks Wanyuudou to gather everyone. When Yuzuki tries to send Azusa to Hell, she suddenly becomes Akie and the Master of Hell gets out of her eye. He then says that he did not grant the right to judge the people to Yuzuki, as she is only supposed to accept requests, make covenants and execute those requests. Saying that she can't accept that, the Master of Hell says that a Hell Girl doesn't need a heart, making Yuzuki throw another ball of dark energy at him, which is deflected by his shield. Trapping Yuzuki on his web thread, the Master of Hell tries to send Yuzuki to Hell, only to be stopped by Yamawaro and Ichimokuren who take Yuzuki away on Ai's commands. Back at the torii gate, Yuzuki asks why Ai did that, as she could be sent to Hell because of it. Ai then takes Yuzuki back to her apartment when she was a child, saying that she was alone and no one came to help her but also explains that people are weak and try to protect themselves at all times, turning a blind eye to many things, just like Yuzuki did with some of the requests to Hell Girl, to which she explains there was nothing she could do. Ai then cries, leaving a tear on the child Yuzumi face, which the older one can feel too, making she overcome her grudge against Ai because of her job as Hell Girl. Ai then shows Akie's father didn't pull the string to banish Azusa, because he saw her taking care of her ill father, just like Yuzuki did with her mother when she was ill, making her cry. Akie then appears at the other side of the torii gate saying that Yuzuki broke the rules and that she would be judged in Hell for her actions. Yuzuki then pleads for that fake Akie to go away, making the Master of Hell appear. Ai then accepts Yuzuki's judgment on her behalf, being condemned to be Hell Girl as long as resentment existed in the world of man, never to be released of her duty. Then, the entire river path that leads to the torii gate becomes full of blue flowers as Yuzuki begins to disappear. Saying that everything will be fine, Ai kisses Yuzuki who then sees Ai's past and how she died, only to say that they are equal. Before disappearing, Yuzuki then tells Ai that she envies her a bit for having a boyfriend and thanks Ai for releasing her of this world. The flowers then disappear and the river goes back to normal, as Ai climbs the mountain to the Saigawara Shrine. She them tells everyone that they are going back to their home in the twilight. Back at Azusa's house, a stone plate is seen on a table for her father who died. At the airport station, Azusa encounters the son of Tsujinobashi family and stabs him fatally, to which she is then sent to Hell by the Takasugi household maid. As the son, Takumi Tsujinobashi, falls to the ground, all the people inside the airport run to the exit, with only Ai walking forward before turning to the camera. Gallery Characters S3 EP 26 Ai.png|Ai Enma S3 EP 26 Yuzuki.png|Yuzuki Mikage S3 EP 26 Akie.png|Akie Takasugi S3 EP 26 Tsugumi.png|Tsugumi Shibata S3 EP 26 Norihisa.png|Norihisa Takasugi S3 EP 26 Azusa.png|Azusa Mayama S3 EP 26 Haruko.png|Haruko S3 EP 26 Spider.png|The Master of Hell S3 EP 26 Companions.png|Ai's Companions Ending Sequence Ichinuke Final 01.png Ichinuke Final 02.png Ichinuke Final 03.png Ichinuke Final 04.png Ichinuke Final 05.png Ichinuke Final 06.png Ichinuke Final 07.png Ichinuke Final 08.png Ichinuke Final 09.png Ichinuke Final 10.png Ichinuke Final 11.png Ichinuke Final 12.png Ichinuke Final 13.png Ichinuke Final 14.png Ichinuke Final 15.png Ichinuke Final 16.png Ichinuke Final 17.png Ichinuke Final 18.png Category:Season 3 Category:Episodes